Anima: Tale of the Mockingbird
by N3vrd3ad
Summary: Meet Jason, a Courier in Astaria, who never knew his parents, fled from the orphanage he'd been sent to, and taken a job as a courier. When on a package run in the mountains of the far north, he meets a strange girl named Velia, and his life will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1: The Girl

Jason shuffled awkwardly in his jacket, shivering in the cold. The blizzard had been raging for what seemed like an eternity, but he had to get his package to Icepeak, a town in northern Astaria, high in the mountains. The roads had been completely empty of passerby, and Jason had never felt more alone in his life, as he trudged up the mountain, buffeted by the snow and sleet that just refused to let up. Peeking out from his hood, which he'd pulled over his face, Jason saw lights in the distance. A decieving light at the end of the tunnel, for he was separated from those lights by a thousand feet of drop off, separating one cliff from another. He'd need to go around this fissure, which would take another three hours on foot, if he was lucky. Oh, how he longed for a set of wings to cross the pass, to get into a warm bed, and wait out the storm. Of course, he was thinking unrealistically. No one could just sponteniously grow wings, that was impossible. He shook his head, realizing he'd stopped walking. That tended to happen when he daydreamed, it was a bad habit, considering he was a courier. He couldn't afford to stop moving.

As he trudged down the path, he noticed a bump in the road. There was quite a bit of snow accumulated on the bump, but considering the weather he was enduring, there was not as much as the surroundings. That meant whatever it was, it hand't been there all that long. He approached it, pulling his knife from his belt, and crouching down in front of it. Then he jumped in surprise.

_The bump was moving._ He stepped back, watching it for a second. _Was it alive?_

"Hey!" He shouted through the blistering wind. "Are you ok?" He poked at it with the handle of is knife. It recoiled ever-so-slightly to the touch, but no response came. Cautiously, He turned the knife in his hand, readying it to strike, as he quickly brushed the snow off. A patch of pale skin appeared, only slightly covered by a deerskin vest. He brushed the rest of the snow off, and the face of a girl appeared, shivering extremely, and breathing slowly. Her skin was extremely pale, and her eyes were wide open. She was wearing nothing but a vest and pants, very underdressed for weather like this.

"Help..." She pleaded simply through teeth that chattered uncontrollably. Jason looked over his shoulder, hoping in vein that someone could assist them, but in weather like this, that was next to impossible. Sighing, Jason yanked off his jacket, slipping it over her arms, and slipped his arm under her legs and back, lifting her up.

"I'll get you out of this wind!" He shouted over the gale, as he started to run into the trees for cover. The wind died down slightly, though not significantly. Luckily, Jason had been in weather like this before, and knew how to make a shelter, fast. He cleared a space in the snow, and set the girl down, before starting to pile snow to his left, blocking the prevailing winds. The initial wall he formed seemed pathetic, until the snow started to accumulate onto it, quickly forming a dome around them, blocking out the cold, and only leaving one side exposed: The one with no wind. He pulled two blankets out of his bag and used one to block the door, before throwing the other over the girl, who was starting to shiver a little less.

"How long were you out there?" He asked her, pulling an oil lamp from his bag and lighting it. The girl stared at the lamp, as if trying to force herself to speak. Finally, she answered:

"I... I don't know." She said, huddled up in the blankets, and Jason't jacket. "Not t-too long. I was trying to get to town, and just..." She drifted off, lying down on her side.

"What were you doing out here in weather like this?" He asked, but she did not answer; She'd fallen asleep. Jason sighed, rubbing his hands together to warm them up. He got a better look at the girl now: She was probably a year or so younger then him, and boy, was she skinny. Her hair was auburn, tied in a ponytail, and she sported a few cuts and bruises, in every place you could imagine. And then there were her tattoos. Two identical marks, on her hands, depicted a sort of claw, curved slightly. This intrigued him. This girl was obviously homeless, and yet, where does she get money for something like a tattoo?

Jason's stomach began to rumble, and he pursued the thought no more. Reaching into his bag once more, he found a few strips of jerky, and a canteen of water. He nibbled on the jerky, staring at the girl. She was very pretty, and she was lucky that _He'd_ found her, instead of some of the other couriers he knew...

He laid back, closing his eyes, and slowly began to drift into sleep...

"I...I..." whispered the girl, causing Jason to jump slightly. "I'm... So hungry..." She finished at last, as if the words were coming back to her. Jason smiled, pushing a few pieces of Jerky her way. She wolfed them down quickly, before looking to him again expectantly

"I-I haven't got any more, sorry. I was planning on sleeping at the inn in town tonight, so I packed light, as far as food goes..." he said apologetically. She sighed, looking very disappointed.

"What's your name?" She asked, sitting up slowly. She'd stopped shivering, but her face was still pale, and she was firmly wrapped in blankets.

"Jason." He said slowly. "How about you?" He asked her. A long pause followed.

"...Velia..." She said finally. They sat there for a while, before she asked him: "Are you heading to town, then?"

"Yes, I was supposed to get there tonight, to deliver a package."He said. The girls eyes flickered with what appeared to be understanding for a moment at the mention of the package. "But I'm sure they'll understand that the weather was just too bad to carry on any more." He assured her.

"Who were you delivering this package for?" She asked him, folding her hands neatly. Jason hesitated. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to tell anybody about the package... But this girl seemed trustworthy, and he couldn't think of anything she could do with the information.

"It's for the Astarian government." He said. "Evidence for a murder case or something." He added.

"A murderer?" Asked Velia curiously.

"It seems so. A woman went crazy and killed her husband, then fled here." Said Jason offhandedly. When Jason looked back to her, the girl was fast asleep. He smiled slightly, laying back again. He could get to town tomorrow, that lady wasn't going anywhere anyways. She had a nice warm jail cell to keep her locked in tight, until he got there. Slowly, but surely, Jason drifted off to sleep, hardly giving a second thought about what he was going to do about that girl...


	2. Chapter 2: The Birds

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

Jason opened his eyes ever so slightly, before trying to go back to sleep.

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

He opened his eyes again, wider now, trying to locate that stupid dripping noise. Nothing. Stubbornly, he closed his eyes again.

_Drip... Drip... Drip..._

His eyes shot open. He was soaking wet, and the shelter was melting all around him. His bag and the girl were gone.

"Dammit!" He shouted, sitting up straight. Digging his way out of the sheller, he drew his knife, searching for the girl who'd robbed him. Almost all of the snow had melted overnight, and small piles of it lay scattered between the trees.

"Oh, you're awake." Said a voice. Velia dropped down from a tree above them, holding something brown and flakey in her hand. "Why've you got a knife out?" She asked him, stepping back slightly.

"I- I thought... Where's my stuff?" He asked.

"Right there." Answered Velia, pointing to the bag, with neatly folded blankets sticking out slightly. Next to it was a small fire, drying out the soaking equipment.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Jason asked her, still slightly angry.

"I _did._" She said. "Three times, actually. You sleep too deeply, Jason." She told him, handing over something to him.

"What's this?" He asked, taking it gingerly.

"Honeycomb!" She chided happily, taking a bite. Jason looked at it doubtfully, before cautiously taking a bite.

"Not bad." He said. "How on earth did you get _honeycomb?_" He questioned, staring it.

"The bees are all asleep from the storm! I just reached in, and ran!" She chimed, taking another big bite of the stuff. They ate together quietly, apparently she'd also found some mockingbird eggs, and had fried them up in the pan Jason kept in his bag.

"You're a good cook!" Complimented Jason. Velia smiled brightly at him, as she wolfed down her eggs. "So where were you heading?" He asked her as he finished off his eggs.

"Icepeak." She told him, nibbling on her honeycomb. "I was sort of just... wandering, when the storm hit." She answered dreamily. "Do you mind if we walk to town together?" She asked hopefully, looking up at him.

"Of course." Said Jason, standing up. "I've gotta go really soon, though, that package is due by noon today."

"Alright, let's go!" Said Velia quickly, standing up. "I'm ready when you are!." She told him, clearly happy to have someone to travel with.

Within half an hour, They were walking down the now-melted trail, around the fissure, and towards Icepeak.

"Why do they call the place Icepeak if it can be this warm out of nowhere?" Jason wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but a lot of towns in Astaria have weird names, Jason. Maybe they just thought it sounded cool?" Answered Velia, who began humming tunelessly. Jason pulled a map from his pocket, thankfully spared from the worst of the melting snow, and checked the courier routes that he'd be taking. It looked like he would be heading to Abon next. That made him exited, because he loved their special dish: Abon stir fry. His stomach rumbled, not satisfied with their meager breakfast, and he picked up his pace, hoping to reach Icepeak soon.

"How long are you staying in Icepeak?" Asked Velia, staring at his map.

"I'll stop to rest for a day, and then head down south for Abon, why?"

"No reason." Was her response. In the distance, a bird let out a call eerily similar to the way Velia had said: "No reason". The call repeated, mimicking her tone of voice and echoing around, being picked up by other birds.

"Mockingbirds." Said Jason, listening intently. Again, the birds copied him. Velia giggled slightly, and Jason glared at her.

"Icepeak's famous for them, didn't you know?" She informed him.

"Then why don't they call the town 'mockingbird'?" He asked.

"Beats me." She answered, as the birds picked up her tone, and "beats me" echoed throughout the forest.

They reached the town at last, and Velia bid Jason goodbye, adding that "They might be seeing each other again soon." Jason doubted it, but still hoped that they'd meet again. He enjoyed her company, and it had been a long time since he'd last had someone to travel with. He headed through the town, to the inn, and booked a room. Having done that, he headed to the courier office to drop off his package.

"Hello there, may I help you?" Asked the receptionist.

"Courier, dropping off a package." He said, rummaging through his bag. He stood there for quite awhile, searching his crowded bag for the package, to no avail. "Umm, I think I left it at the Inn, I'll be right back." He stammered, heading back out the door quickly. _This was bad. _That evidence was crucial to the murder case, and if he didn't deliver it... His career was over. He dashed back down the road, the way they came, to where he'd parted with Velia. There was still enough snow on the ground so that he could see her footprints, and he followed them through town, guessing which prints were hers when they intersected with other townsfolk.

After a few minutes of searching, he spotted her buying a coat from a merchant, before spotting him and waving.

"Oh! Hey Jason!" She said, walking over to him.

"Velia, have you seen the package I was supposed to deliver?" Asked Jason desperately.

"Package..." she said, as if deep in thought. "No, I haven't seen anything."

"No way." He said, clenching his fists.

"You lost it?" She asked, surprised.

"I guess so..." He said, sighing.

"Did you check our campsite?"

"That's a six hour trip, there and back!" He said.

"I'll go with you, then, come on." Asserted Velia, grabbing his wrist, and pulling him along.

In just under three hours, they arrived at their campsite, barren of their equipment, with the dome they'd used as shelter already half melted.

"It's not here!" moaned Jason, digging through the snow. Velia stood staring at the remains of their campfire, a sad look on her face.

"What'll you do?' She asked him.

"I-I don't know. I could be charged with destruction of Astarian property, tampering with evidence... even treason!" He stammered.

"Tell them you were robbed!" Suggested Velia.

"I already went to the office and _told them_ I was there to deliver it!" Neither of them spoke. Eventually, they gave up searching. Jason's shouts of anger echoed through the forest, copied by the mockingbirds, and carried for miles. There was no way they could know, but the birds infuriated him even more, they seemed to be mocking _him._


	3. Chapter 3: The Trial

Jason had planned on staying in the inn for the night, and leaving town. Velia agreed that was probably the best plan, and said she would cover for him if he needed a way to slip out of town. They had it all figured out, they'd chosen his path, marked on the map he carried in his pocket, and the planned seemed guaranteed to work... Until he reached the Inn. As he turned the key to his room, the door swung open. Inside the room were three armed men, who seemed to have been waiting for quite awhile.

"Hello, Jason." Said the oldest of them, folding his arms.

They'd sent someone to search for him down the road, after he didn't return to the courier office, and the scout had overheard their plans to slip out of town. They figured that he'd sold the evidence to the accused, and planned on leaving, with them none the wiser, and the woman accused of murder going home, free. Roughly, they grabbed Jason, pulling him down the stairs. Velia screamed, at first in fear, then in anger. Before Jason;s very eyes, claws started to form in place of her hands, eerily similar to the ones in her tattoos, her ears changed to furry, points ones, and fur sprouted, going up her arms. Finally, a furry, brown tail appeared. She clawed madly at one of the men, who went down, screaming in surprise. The next man grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her back. She bit his arm, kicking wildly at him, but eventually, he managed to subdue her.

"What the- Velia?" Stuttered Jason, stunned by the transformation.

"And this is your accomplice, is it not?" Asked the man, putting his hand on her chin and pulling her head up to face him. "A +Anima. How Disgusting. "

"What's a +Anima?" Asked Jason. The guard just laughed. "Wait, You've got it wrong!" Shouted Jason. "We lost it, we left because we were looking for it!"

"A likely story. You left to meet with an accomplice of that woman, and sold the evidence to them in secret, then came back to the inn for the night! How foolish." Retorted the man. And without another word, they dragged the two of them out of the inn, towards the jail. Just before they reached the door, Velia screamed louder then ever, biting at the man who was struggling to keep hold of her. She managed to break his grip, and rushed off, into the night.

"Velia!" Called Jason, in anger for leaving him behind, and in fear, for having to face this alone.

"Here stands the accused, going by the name of Jason." Shouted the judge over the wind. They stood on the edge of the highest cliff in Icepeak, Jason was on a special sort of hangman's platform. Apparently, in Icepeak, they didn't hang people, they dropped them off the cliff, onto the jagged rocks, thousands of feet below. If you survived, they told him, The wolves would finish you off.

"Jason stands accused of, among other things, TREASON!" Called the judge. "And as we all know, treason-" Shouted the judge, pausing for effect. "Is a crime that is punishable only by_ death_." He finished. The crowd roared with anger, exited to watch someone receive the capital punishment. Jason spotted a hooded figure sitting on a tree limb, staring at him. He clenched his teeth. Oh, how he wanted to yell at her to help him. but what good would it do?

"We have already heard his less-then-satisfactory explanation, and it has been proven false!" Cried the judge. _False my ass_ Thought Jason. These trials were rarely fair, and everyone knew it. He looked down to the jagged rocks far below, the last thing he would ever see. How did he end up like this? Just a day before, everything was going so well... until... he found Velia. It all came to him. Velia _must _have done something, how else could she have gotten the money for that coat she was buying at the market? He glared at the figure sitting on the branch, with what appeared to be a tail wrapped around it for balance.

"You back-stabber!" He shouted at the wind. "I hope you never forget this feeling! This is _BECAUSE OF YOU!_" The judge glared at him, slightly confused, before shrugging.

"You see? He attempts to fool us with mock-anger at his escaped accomplice. The +Anima who assisted him escaped, leaving him behind, and now he attempts to put all of the blame on _her! _What kind of cowardice is this?" He screamed, as the crowd roared with anger.

"Jason, my friend, Your time has come!" Shouted the executioner. He pulled a lever, and the platform opened under his feet, dropping him to the rocks below. _So this is how it ends. _Thought Jason, as he plummeted to the bottom of the Fissure.

_I don't want to die. I **Really** don't want to die like this. But what can I do? It's already too late... _How he wished he could have wings, as he had wished before, to cross the fissure. He wanted to fly like those mockingbirds from the morning, to keep on living. To get back at that stupid girl who's life he saved, to make her suffer as he had. But he'd never be able to grow wings, for that was impossible. Only in fairy tales could something like that happen... _But Velia had claws and a tail, and those pointy ears, and fur on her arms... How could she have done that? Did she want them as bad as he wanted wings? Claws to fight, to grip a tree to climb, to escape a horrible death? Ears to hear the threat approaching? Could it be done? _

As if on cue, an immense sense of pain filled him, and his descent slowed. It was indescribable, for it _was_ painful, but at the same time, it felt good. He felt his back grow heavy, and his arms became warm. Looking down, he yelped in surprise. There were _feathers _on his arms! Looking over his shoulder, he gasped at what he saw. _He had wings! _He didn't know what to wings felt natural, as if they'd always been there, and at the same time, very out of place. He tried flapping them, happy he seemed to have full control of them. Looking over his shoulder, the Executioner wasn't even looking at him. He had his back to him, addressing the crowd, who'd focused it's attention on the executioner making a speech about the consequences for your actions. That was fine with Jason, the fewer people who knew he was alive, the better.

Jason turned, flying for the side of the fissure opposite to the peak he'd been dropped from. Touching down on the soft dirt, he fell to his knees. He looked at his newfound wings. They were grey and black, just like the mockingbirds that inhabited ice peak.

"What am I?" He asked himself, looking down at his hands. "Am I... like Velia?" He asked. He remembered seeing the girl, in a fit of rage, with claws and a tail and pointy ears, and thinking he was just seeing things. "Am I... A +Anima?" He asked, before jumping slightly. The voice that had asked the question was not his own, but Velia's. "Woah!" he said in his own voice, rubbing his throat. "Was that me?"

_Of course it was me... I'm a mockingbird, aren't_ I? He told himself.

He stood up, wondering how he was supposed to get the wings to go away. However, the moment he began to ponder how he'd make them leave, they disappeared.

"No! Wait!" He shouted, willing his wings to return. Jason sighed in relief. He wasn't ready to be rid of his wings. It seemed a terrible thing to waste.


End file.
